BRINGING YOU A FRESH, LOCAL TASTE—

Looking for a place that serves great home cookin’ and the best bowl of chicken stew that you’ll ever taste? Are you a typical college student who’s eating on a budget? Would you like a nice meal in a casual atmosphere? Head on over to Holden’s Ranch, located at 580 Southport Road.

For the forth stop on our local restaurant review called Woffordspoon: Serving Our Fellow Students a Taste of Spartanburg, we dined at Holden’s Ranch Restaurant, and we were not disappointed. Student Body President Hank Davis did not want to pass up this opportunity either, so he joined us once again!

When we entered the restaurant, we knew we were in for a good Southern treat as we could smell barbecue and hash on the grill and were greeted by friendly cashiers.

Holden’s Ranch was founded by Phil Holden, who has owned the restaurant for more than 33 years. Holden retired in 2010.

If you want to meet someone who embodies the word commitment, head to Holden’s Ranch and spend some time talking to Jeff Hodges, the restaurant’s current owner. The Woffordspoon team sat down with him recently to get the scoop on the history of Holden’s Restaurant, and we learned that he began working at the restaurant 26 years ago when he was 15 years old.

Hodges told us that Holden’s Ranch has had a few locations, but the restaurant moved to its current location in 1986. He also said the restaurant has great loyalty in their customers. Hodges told us about a Post Office worker who comes to lunch there daily and has been doing so for the past 12 years.

When asked about the best items on the menu, Hodges said Holden’s famous chicken stew and the calabash chicken breasts are the most sold menu items. We even asked our waitresses what their favorite menu item is, and they said the calabash chicken.

Besides chicken stew and calabash chicken, Holden’s Ranch serves meats such as hash, barbecue and shrimp, and an array of sides like French fries, hush puppies, slaw, potato salad and any vegetable you can imagine.

“I heard great things about Holden’s famous chicken stew before we went, so I knew I had to order a bowl of that! Per the cashier’s advice I also got some vegetables – mashed potatoes, butter beans and boiled cabbage – which were all wonderful,” says Woffordspooner Ashlee Moody. “I enjoyed it all but my favorite was definitely the chicken stew.”

“When I first looked at the menu, I didn’t know exactly what to get seeing as though everything on the menu sounded delicious. I ended up getting the chicken plate with fries and hush puppies, and it was the best decision,” says Woffordspooner Jonathan Franklin.

“I ordered barbecue, baked beans, coleslaw and a bowl of the famous chicken stew,” says Davis. “It was the best chicken stew I have ever had.”

While we enjoyed our food, the best part of our experience at Holden’s Ranch was getting to hang out with the owner.

When asked to describe Holden’s Ranch in one phrase, he said “easy going,” and we Woffordspooners agree.

—Ashlee Moody and Jonathan Franklin